What Is the Opposite Color of Yellow?

Yellow is one of the happiest and brightest colors on the spectrum. As a matter of fact, it represents positivity and optimism, sunshine, warmth, and creativity.

As a primary color, many people are well aware not just of this color, but also of what it represents. However, not everyone knows the opposite color of yellow.

If you want to know what the counterpart of yellow is on the color wheel, you have come to the right place.

This article will tell you the opposite color of yellow, what this color represents, and much more. Read on to learn more.

A Short Discussion on Complementary Colors

We cannot discuss complementary colors without touching the color wheel. The color wheel is a circle that contains different color hues. These are primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors.

There are three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Additionally, there are three secondary colors, and these come from the combination of two primary colors. The colors that belong in this category include green, orange, and violet.

Tertiary colors, on the other hand, are the outcome of one primary color mixed with one secondary color. This creates six tertiary colors including red-orange, red-violet, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, and blue-violet.

Complementary colors are colors that lie opposite to one another on the color wheel. In fact, for this reason, you will also hear them called opposite colors. Complementary colors are vibrant and bring out the best in each other, hence the name.

Complementary colors make each other color look brighter and bolder when placed side by side. The opposite color of yellow is a combination of the other two primary colors, red and blue. Namely, violet. 

Get to Know the Opposite Color of Yellow

This complementary color of yellow certainly deserves to be recognized. Aptly named, violet actually gets its name from the flower with the same color.

People often mistake the color purple for violet, even interchanging the two terms. However, there are slight differences between the two, with purple being darker.

According to Canva, violet has a hex triplet code of #8F00FF. In the RGB color space, the color violet color is comprised of 56.1% of red, 0% green, and 100% blue.

On the other hand, when it comes to the CMYK color space, violet contains 44% cyan, 100% magenta, 0% yellow, and 0% black. When referring to its hue, saturation, and lightness values, violet has an angle of 273.6 degrees, 100% saturation, and 50% lightness.

The Meaning Behind the Color Violet

Throughout the years, the color violet has become associated with power, royalty, and nobility. This may be because the violet dye called Tyrian purple was expensive and hard to come in the olden days.

Because of its price, only royalty wore clothing of this color, such as the emperors of both the Roman and Byzantine empires.

Apart from its links to royalty, the color violet holds associations with religion, especially during the Middle Ages, when bishops and university professors wore violet robes. Meanwhile, in Hinduism and Buddhism, the Crown Chakra is this color.

The Color Violet in Pop Culture

Of course, we can’t talk about purple and yellow color combinations without mentioning the beloved Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. Most people in the United States will think of this team when these two colors come to mind.

In 2018, Pantone chose Ultra Violet as the color of the year to signify hope and uplift the spirits of people around the world. At the same time, the color chosen by the brand highlighted creativity, originality, imagination, and forward thinking.

One icon who showed a preference for this color is none other than the musician Prince. The artist not only encouraged fans to wear the color to his concerts, he even named a track and album after this color, “Purple Rain.”

In terms of film and television, some well-loved characters have sported this color on screen, including Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory played by Gene Wilder, and The Joker from The Dark Knight portrayed by Heath Ledger.

Ursula from The Little Mermaid, as well as Aladdin from the Aladdin movie, also wore the color violet.

The Bottom Line

By now, you have a deeper understanding that violet is the opposite color of yellow. In learning this, you hopefully have a further appreciation for the color violet and the meaning behind it.